Eleven Past Champions Headline Western & Southern Open Fields WTA, ATP Tour Stars Return to Cincinnati Aug. 14-22 CINCINNATI, Ohio (July 21, 2021) – Ashleigh Barty and Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 ranked players in the world who are fresh off Wimbledon titles, highlight the initial singles entry list for the 2021 Western & Southern Open. The Top 20 players in both the ATP Tour and WTA Tour rankings have entered the event, which will be held Aug. 14-22. The field also includes 11 former tournament winners, including the defending champions Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka, both two-time Western & Southern Open winners. Cincinnati will welcome five former champions in the WTA field, featuring Karolina Pliskova (2016), Garbiñe Muguruza (2017), and Madison Keys (2019) along with two-time champions Serena Williams and Azarenka. In addition to Djokovic, former ATP champions returning to Cincinnati in 2021 include Daniil Medvedev (2019), Rafael Nadal (2013), Grigor Dimitrov (2017), Marin Cilic (2016) and seven-time champion Roger Federer. The women’s field is also highlighted by 13 total Major champions, with recent winners including 2020 Western & Southern Open finalist Naomi Osaka (2020 US Open, 2021 Australian Open), Barbora Krejcikova (2021 French Open), Sofia Kenin (2020 Australian Open) and Iga Swiatek (2020 French Open). Eight entrants have held WTA's No. 1 ranking, with Azarenka, Barty, Osaka, Pliskova, Muguruza and Williams being joined by multi-time Cincinnati finalists Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber. In addition to the wealth of experience among the women’s field, 10 participants are 23 or younger. Leading the WTA youth movement is 17-year-old Cori "Coco" Gauff, who will make her debut in Cincinnati following a quarterfinal finish in the 2021 French Open. Djokovic’s Western & Southern Open title defense will come as he chases history this season. The winner of the year’s first three Majors, he is bidding to be the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete a calendar Grand Slam. The trio of Major titles this season has drawn him level with Federer and Nadal atop the all- time list, with each having won 20 titles at Grand Slam tournaments. A trio of former US Open champions are also on the Cincinnati entry list: Dominic Thiem (2020), Stan Wawrinka (2016) and Cilic (2014). The men’s field comprises the top 43 players in the ATP rankings and will have 11 players aged 23-or- younger competing. Leading the ATP youth charge is 19-year-old Jannik Sinner, who held a career-high ranking of 17 earlier in 2021 and reached the 2020 French Open Quarterfinals. The initial entrants to both fields are as follows: Rank Name Age Nat. Rank Name Age Nat. 1 Novak Djokovic 34 SRB 1 Ashleigh Barty 25 AUS 2 Daniil Medvedev 25 RUS 2 Naomi Osaka 23 JPN 3 Rafael Nadal 35 ESP 3 Aryna Sabalenka 23 BLR 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas 22 GRE 4 Sofia Kenin 22 USA 5 Alexander Zverev 24 GER 5 Bianca Andreescu 21 CAN 6 Dominic Thiem 27 AUT 6 Elina Svitolina 26 UKR 7 Audrey Rublev 23 RUS 7 Karolina Pliskova 29 CZE 8 Matteo Berrettini 25 ITA 8 Iga Swiatek 20 POL 9 Roger Federer 39 SUI 9 Garbiñe Muguruza 27 ESP 10 Denis Shapovalov 22 CAN 10 Simona Halep 29 ROU 11 Pablo Carreno Busta 29 ESP 11 Barbora Krejcikova 25 CZE 12 Hubert Hurkacz 24 POL 12 Belinda Bencic 24 SUI 13 Diego Schwartzman 28 ARG 13 Petra Kvitova 31 CZE 14 Casper Ruud 22 NOR 14 Victoria Azarenka 31 BLR 15 Felix Auger-Aliassime 20 CAN 15 Jennifer Brady 26 USA 16 Roberto Bautista Agut 33 ESP 16 Serena Williams 39 USA 17 Alex de Minaur 22 AUS 17 Elise Mertens 25 BEL 18 Gael Monfils 34 FRA 18 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 30 RUS 19 Cristian Garin 25 CAN 19 Maria Sakkari 25 GRE 20 David Goffin 30 CHI 20 Elena Rybakina 22 KAZ 21 Grigor Dimitrov 30 BUL 22 Angelique Kerber 33 GER 22 Milos Raonic 30 CAN 23 Ons Jabeur 26 TUN 23 Jannik Sinner 19 ITA 24 Karolina Muchova 24 CZE 24 Aslan Karatsev 27 RUS 25 Cori Gauff 17 USA 25 Karen Khachanov 25 RUS 26 Madison Keys 26 USA 26 Lorenzo Sonego 26 ITA 27 Jessica Pegula 27 USA 27 Daniel Evans 31 GBR 28 Anett Kontaveit 25 EST 28 Ugo Humbert 23 FRA 29 Paula Badosa 23 ESP 29 Stan Wawrinka 36 SUI 30 Jelena Ostapenko 24 LAT 30 Cameron Norrie 25 GBR 31 Daria Kasatkina 24 RUS 31 Fabio Fognini 34 ITA 32 Petra Martic 30 CRO 32 Reilly Opelka 23 USA 33 Veronika Kudermetova 24 RUS 33 Borna Coric 24 CRO 34 Ekaterina Alexandrova 26 RUS 34 Filip Krajinovic 29 SRB 35 Yulia Putintseva 26 KAZ 35 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 22 ESP 36 Alison Riske 31 USA 36 Marin Cilic 32 CRO 37 Tamara Zidansek 23 SLO 37 Taylor Fritz 23 USA 38 Nadia Podoroska 24 ARG 38 Marton Fucsovics 29 HUN 39 Sorona Cirstea 31 ROU 39 John Isner 36 USA 40 Johanna Konta 30 GBR 40 Alexander Bublik 24 KAZ 41 Markéta Vondroušová 22 CZE 41 Adrian Mannarino 33 FRA 42 Shelby Rogers 28 USA 42 Nikoloz Basilashvili 29 GEO 44 Danielle Collins 27 USA 43 Albert Ramos-Vinolas 33 ESP 69* Kei Nishikori 31 JPN BOLD Indicates Past Western & Southern Open Champion *Current ranking, entry secured with injury protected ranking The top eight seeds in both draws will receive first round byes. Eight women and seven men will be added to the fields through a two-round qualifying tournament that will be held Aug. 14-15. Four men and as many as five women will be awarded wild card entries into the main draw singles fields. Tournament action will take place Aug. 14-22, where first serve will take place at 10 a.m. on Aug. 14 for the qualifying tournament. The men’s and women’s singles finals will take place on Sunday, Aug. 22. The schedule is available here. All tickets, including full series, mini-plans, single session and hospitality packages, are now on sale and information about available tickets can be found here. The Western & Southern Open, an ATP Masters 1000 and a WTA 1000, is part of the US Open Series and is held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. About the Western & Southern Open Founded in 1899, the Western & Southern Open is an ATP Masters 1000 and a WTA 1000 tournament. The Western & Southern Open annually welcomes nearly 200,000 fans who come from all 50 states and more than 35 countries and is seen by more than 50 million global viewers in over 160 countries. The tournament is also one of the last stops on the US Open Series before the US Open in New York. Since 1974, the tournament has contributed more than $11 million to various beneficiaries includinG Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the Barrett Cancer Center and Tennis for City Youth. The tournament is held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, 20 miles north of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. For more information, visit www.wsopen.com. About the US Open Series The US Open Series serves as a true “reGular season” of summer tennis in North America, linkinG nine WTA and ATP Tour tournaments to the US Open. FeaturinG a cohesive weekly viewinG schedule, as well as comprehensive outreach and grassroots engagement initiatives, the Series serves as a vital platform to promote and grow the game of tennis in person and at home. Fans can follow alonG all summer as today’s top champions Go head-to-head with tomorrow’s emerging stars, while each tournament engages its local community with a variety of programs geared toward showcasing and promoting the game to new and existing fans. About the WTA Founded by Billie Jean KinG in 1973 on the principle of equal opportunity for women in sports, the WTA is the global leader in women’s professional sport with more than 1,650 players representing 84 nations competing for a record $180 million in prize money. In 2019, the WTA was watched by a record-breaking global audience of 700 million. The 2020 WTA season includes 55 events and four Grand Slams in 29 countries and reGions. The season culminates with the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, offerinG a $14 million total prize purse and honoring the season’s top singles and doubles players. Further information on the WTA can be found at www.wtatennis.com. About the ATP As the Global GoverninG body of men’s professional tennis, the ATP’s mission is to serve tennis. We entertain a billion global fans, showcase the world’s Greatest players at the most prestiGious tournaments, and inspire the next Generation of fans and players. From the ATP Cup in Australia, to Europe, the Americas and Asia, the stars of the Game battle for titles and FedEx ATP Rankings points at ATP Masters 1000, 500 and 250 events, and Grand Slams. All roads lead towards the Nitto ATP Finals, the prestigious season finale held in Turin, Italy. FeaturinG only the world’s top 8 qualified sinGles players and doubles teams, the tournament also sees the official crowninG of the year-end ATP World No. 1, the ultimate achievement in tennis. For more information, please visit www.ATPTour.com. .